Breakin' Out
by AudeliaMarlowe
Summary: A prequel for Columbia. Has her as a Transylvanian, and follows the Hello Oblivion continuity, but also stands on its own.


The young girl stayed in bed until noon, not willing to join the living. A high-pitched yawn. She pulled the covers up over her eyes, more to hide than to block out the light. Indeed, no light shone in through the open window, except for a silvery gleam from Transsexual's three moons. Outside, far below, the cold waves beat against the weathered but still-sharp rocks of the beach.

"Columbia!" This was her mother. "Come downstairs, baby!"

A grunt from the girl in the bed. Footsteps pounding on the stairs.

"Wake up. Lazy." Click! Her mother turned on the lights. "Please come join us for lunch. Your father and I would like to see you, at least once in a while." Her mother turned on her heels and pounded back down the stairs.

Columbia rolled out of bed and shut the door her mother had left open. "Good morning, Frank," she said, to the large poster of her planet's prince tacked to her wall. She dressed quickly, grabbed a well-worn backpack, and finally headed down the stairs.

"Well, good afternoon, sleepyhead." Her father, sitting on the sofa, peered at her over his e-reader. "How's my little girl?"

"Fine," she mumbled. "Bye, dad." She started to walk out the door.

"Wait! Don't you want some lunch?" her mother called from the kitchen.

Columbia paused. "I'm going to meet with some friends. I'll get something in town."

"Just don't stay out too late."

Columbia left. She wasn't going to meet friends. In fact, she didn't really have any close friends. She felt like she didn't fit in on Transsexual, and often longed to leave. Maybe she could apply for a study-abroad on one of Transylvania's other planets, if she was lucky.

It was a short walk to the high street from Columbia's townhouse. It wasn't much to see, but there were plenty of shops and take-aways that always seemed to be full of people. She stopped to get some food.

The boy at the counter was skinny, tall, and about her age. He recognized her from school. What was her name? Columbia? She never said much, but she sure was cute. He smiled, and adjusted his nametag. Risty. "Hi, how can I help you?"

"Uh, hi. Can I get a fishdog? That's it. Thanks." She pulled out her swipecard to pay.

(A fishdog, for those who are wondering, is a popular Transylvanian fast food. It looks like, and is in fact based on, Earth's corndogs. However, the meat is a tuna-like fish that has been mixed with a thick paste that tastes like a spicy barbecue sauce. Like a corndog, the fishdog is dipped into batter, fried, and served on a stick.)

Columbia took her lunch with her as she walked down to the cliffs overlooking Furter Castle. It jutted out somewhat majestically from a white cliff on one side, straight over the ocean. The cliffs were one of her favorite places to sit, relax, and spy on people. Farther down, they were a popular make-out spot among Transylvanian youth, but Columbia had found a little corner all for herself. It was a little bit of a climb, but the view was worth it. Throwing the stick from her fishdog down to the waves below, she sat on the hidden ledge. She rummaged around in her backpack, and found her grandpa's old binoculars. Columbia didn't go to the cliffs for the view of the ocean; she went for the view of Furter Castle. And, more specifically, Furter Castle's occupants.

Frank N. Furter, the handsome prince, was quite popular throughout the small planet. Columbia was obsessed. She considered herself very lucky to live in the capital city, such a short walk from Frank's home. She'd only seen him out in public a few times, from a distance, but she fantasized about actually meeting him someday.

The Prince's Quarters, an annex to the main castle, just happened to be directly in the line of sight of Columbia's perch. Soon, however, Frank was leaving on a mission to Earth. Workers had finished the rocket attachments to his segment of the castle a few days before, and the newsfeeds said that Prince Frank was set to leave any day now.

The Transylvanian fascination with Earth is a special thing. In all the planets in the Transylvanian system, a vacation to Earth is seen as a status symbol. Frank's mother, the Old Queen, was sending the prince on a long mission to the planet. No one outside the castle really knew what the mission was about, but the other planets' royal families were suitably jealous, and that's all that mattered to most Transsexuals.

Columbia peered through the binoculars. Sometimes she could catch glimpses into the windows, but when she was really lucky, she'd see people out on the balcony. Thankfully, this was one of those days. Columbia opened the backpack again and found the toy sound amplifier she'd stolen from her younger cousin. Earplugs in, binoculars up, and ready to spy.

Two people in traditional, formal space suits argued on the castle's balcony. A woman with a huge puff of hair, and a blonde man. Columbia listened intently.

"Tonight! She wants to send him off tonight!" The man screamed so loudly that Columbia had to turn down the sound amplifier. "But we're not ready. I'm not ready."

"That's all I've been told, brother." That was the woman. From what Columbia could see, she was beautiful. "We're leaving at 5 PM for a place called Den-Ton-Tecks-Az. Frank chose the place himself."

5 PM! That was only a few hours away! Columbia was excited; she had a front-row seat for the castle's lift-off.

The man and the woman seemed to calm down, and, with a quick elbow-sign, went back inside. Columbia set down her binoculars and sighed. Sure, it was cool that she'd get to see the castle take off, but life was going to be so boring with Frank gone. She looked out across the water, and pulled the arms of her sequined jacket over her hands. It was getting cold out there in the eternal darkness. "I bet Earth isn't this boring, or cold, or dark, or lonely," said Columbia to herself. And with that, she had an idea.

She would go with them. She would run away to Earth and BE somebody for once. Columbia ran the whole way home.

"Hi, dear. It's good to see you. Help me cook dinner?"

"No, mom, uh, actually I ran into my friend Pola... Pola from school? And she wants me to come over to spend the night. So... I'm gonna go pack."

"Really? It's so nice to see you making friends, but we do want to see you around more often. Let me give you a ride to her house."

"NO! I mean, no, it's not that far, I want to walk."

Columbia threw some clothes in the backpack and left her townhouse again. For the last time? It would be worth it. She started out on the hike to the castle.

Though the walk to the cliffs wasn't far, getting to the other side was a bit of a challenge. It took her about an hour to reach Furter Castle. 4 PM, one hour to lift-off. Columbia had to hurry; it would take her some time to find a way in.

With the hood of her jacket over her head, she crept along the side walls of the castle. At one point, she looked up and across to her familiar hiding spot. It wasn't even visible from here! No one would know.

4:15 PM. Forty-five more minutes to go. Columbia stared at the rocket attachments at the base of the Prince's Quarters. They looked much bigger up close. She'd better find a way inside. Up high, on the second floor, one window seemed to be open just a crack. Could she climb the stone walls in time? It was worth a shot. She shifted the weight of her backpack just a little and grabbed the cracks between the stones.

She was fit from dancing and walking, but this was nearly impossible. Still, with adrenaline running through her veins, she pushed her way up the wall. She didn't dare to look down. The window was getting closer, and she could definitely tell that it was open.

Finally, somehow, she reached the windowsill. She pushed her body up, over, and into the room, falling on the floor in a heap. She breathed. Safe.

"Hello." She knew that voice. Slowly, very slowly, she lifted her head to look at his face. Prince Frank N. Furter himself! "Who exactly are you, child?"

"I am so, so sorry." She pulled herself to her feet, and started towards the door of his room. Such a gorgeous room.

"Oh no, no, no. Don't be sorry. You look pretty groovy. But whatever's possessed you to come falling in through my window?"

"I... I just... I didn't think it through, your highness. I wanted to come to Earth. It was a bad plan. I'll just be leaving now."

"Well, I don't think you can. Take a look out that window you've just stuffed yourself through."

She turned around. The castle had taken off, and was already high above the capital city of Transsexual.

"Please call me Frank, by the way."

"I'm Columbia."

He took her hand and kissed it. "Enchanté, Columbia. Anyone who's brave enough to climb in through my window will get along in this castle just fine. I'm afraid we're stuck together for quite some time." He smiled that frighteningly large smile she knew too well from the poster on her wall.

Was this real life? She turned around again and watched as Transsexual disappeared into the night. Her parents were down there, and they'd be worried. She'd be in so much trouble. But a fresh start on a new planet was still too appealing.

"Columbia, dearest," he continued, handing her a glass of champagne. "Come downstairs with me to the little party in the ballroom. I'd like to introduce you to my humble servants." Not saying a word, she took the champagne and his outstretched hand. He led her to the elevator. "Welcome home, Columbia."


End file.
